It's our second podcast in recent memory! Does this mean the CoffeeGeek Podcast really is back? Could be! We'll have a great interview with Madcap Coffee's Trevor Corlett for the bulk of this podcast, but will also be talking in depth about the charitable organization Coffee Kids and how it had to shut its doors for 2015, a very sad event.

After a crazy long 3+ year hiatus (not planned!) the CoffeeGeek Podcast is back, with some thoughts on social media and specialty coffee, overly bright espresso trends, and a feature interview with Scott Callendar from La Marzocco on the new La Marzocco Home venture.

Show NotesA first of two parts looking into the history of the vacuum coffee brewer. Part One covers the invention of the vacpot and the development and popularity in Europe and America through the 1940s.

Getting Caught Up - Mark talks about the last two months in the world of coffee, about Phuong Tran's visit to Vancouver, the January - February run to raise money for CoffeeKids, the upcoming WBC Machine certifications, and the continuing redesign of CoffeeGeek.com

Getting Caught Up - Mark talks about the last two months in the world of coffee, about Phuong Tran's visit to Vancouver, the January - February run to raise money for CoffeeKids, the upcoming WBC Machine certifications, and the continuing redesign of CoffeeGeek.com

Emails Answered! (5:31)- John Brinkman of baristaunderground.com writes in regarding a South African barista champion (Willem Pienaar) competing in the WBC this year (5:34)- Brian Marshall sends in his thanks, leading Mark to talk about "benevolent coffee snobs" (8:25)- Andrew Levine of Hamburg, Germany, sent in a long email with many, many newbie questions about making espresso with the Rancilio Silvia; see Mark's video, Rancilio Silvia Shot Walkthrough (12:47)- Miles Spathelf asks for a comparison between two multi-purpose grinders for french press coffee, the KitchenAid Pro Line and Baratza Virtuoso (28:18)- Laurel Clark asks if espresso can be made with single origin beans as well as espresso blends (37:26)- Don Grafum wants to know what "pure Arabic coffee" is (43:57)- Sheridan Adams asks about the Rancilio Jacky and the "upside down" brewing method for the Aeropress (48:28)- Chris Mossop wants to know how restaurants with 3 Michelin stars - such as The Fat Duck - can serve pod coffee! (53:12)- Patrick Smith wants Mark to settle a debate about freezing coffee (57:25)

Questions or comments podcast@coffeegeek.com or call the voicemail line at 1-206-965-8185, or Skype to Skype - search for the CoffeeGeek username.
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Show NotesIntro (0:03)
- "Black Coffee", by Everlast featuring Merry Clayton
Espresso in Australia, with guest co-host Luca Costanzo, Melbourne, Australia (0:46)
- About Luca: working at First Pour (retail showroom for Veneziano coffee roastery) and moderating the CG Australasia forums (1:56)
The coffee scene in Australia
- Market saturation and the status of specialty coffee (2:42)
- Lawsuits and the coffee market (4:39)
- Drip coffee in Australia (7:41)
- The consumer experience in commercial cafés (9:58): drink sizes (10:08), milk drinks (12:56)
- Coffee at home in Australia (15:56): Sunbeam in Australia (17:17), drip coffee makers and vac pots (20:14), comparison of North American and Australian markets for home equipment such as grinders (21:08), high-end equipment for sale in cafés(25:55)
- Michel's Espresso and the $50 a pound coffee (27:49)
The CoffeeGeek Australasian Forum Community (35:05)
- The Australian attitude from the American perspective (35:47)
- Luca's memorable moments in the forum (41:23)
Luca's review of Mark's article, "How to Buy an Espresso Machine" (46:38)
Australian Barista Championship (ABC) (49:52)
- Data entry, scoring, judging and "The Controversial WBC" (50:59)
- Signature drinks at this year's ABC (1:07:10): David Makin's palate cleanser plus sig drink (1:07:46), a signature drink that could be made at home - Erin Sampson's signature drink (1:13:21)
- Signature drinks with Vietnamese-style coffee; movement to have a Vietnamese entrant in the WBC; and new entrants from Africa (1:16:49)
Wrap Up: Thanks to Luca and a quote from pstam (1:18:30)

SCAA Election (16:29)- The possibility of serious representation for retailers and baristas… (16:40)- What it means for consumers (16:58)

Interview with Ric Rhinehart (17:40)- Candidate for 2nd Vice President, SCAA- President of Groundwork Coffee, a roaster/retailer- One of the questions posed to Ric: Is there a good connection between the SCAA and consumers? (23:57)

Interview with Jeff Taylor (1:14:50)- Candidate for SCAA Board of Directors- Co-founder, CEO, and Director of Coffee, PT's Coffee Company- One of the questions posed to Jeff: How can the SCAA make the SCAA brand valuable to retailers and significant to consumers? (1:32:07)

Latest Happening in Vancouver - Ugly Water! (9:38)- Heavy rains have caused the local water supply to become turbid - No water, no coffee: some local coffee shops have stopped serving as a result

The Important Stuff - the CG 5th Annual Holiday Gift List and Fundraiser (16:23)- Launching 11/20/2006! (this link will be live by 12pm PST, November 20).- This year's list includes over 125 products that any CoffeeGeek would love!!- Create your own wish list, rate items according to your "want" factor, and email to friends and family!!!- CoffeeKids fundraising: this year's Holiday Gift List primary sponsor is Krups, who has generously agreed to give half of their sponsorship fee directly to CoffeeKids (20:38)- A preview of other products included on the HGL (23:08)

Interviews (2:03) Tom Owen,Sweet Maria’s (3:08)Tom is profiled in the September/October issue of Imbibe Magazine. - Sweet Maria’s web site: unpretentious and all about what’s in the cup, where thousands of home roasters got their start (3:23)- Exotic coffees: the story of St. Helena coffee, the perception of coffee as culinary, and the growing demand for specialty coffee (5:50)- Sweet Maria’s purchase of Best of Panama 2006 coffees, including the Hacienda la Esmeralda Gesha at the record-breaking price of $50.25/lb (12:56)- Sweet Maria’s home roaster mailing list and the development of coffee communities (18:21) - Coming soon to Sweet Maria’s: Late harvest Esmeralda Gesha to be offered at about $16/lb and a fantastic dry processed Yirgacheffe Idido Misty Valley (28:22) - Intelligentsia and Tres Santos microlots, Sweet Maria’s tiered pricing, and development of direct relationships by small roasters (32:40) - Be sure to read the September/October issue of Imbibe Magazine to find out why the web site is called Sweet Maria’s (37:56)

Karen Foley, publisher of Imbibe Magazine (43:39)- The Tom Owen profile (44:34) - Imbibe’s coverage of coffee and readers' response to Mark’s article on french press coffee (48:00)- Mark’s espresso article in the September/October issue and a contest for future articles (see entry rules below) (51:49)- Coming up in the next issue: holiday drinks and gift guides; an article on Prague; coffee origins by Richard Reynolds (1:01:11)- The response to the magazine from the coffee communities and other beverage-related communities (1:03:03)- Comment on Imbibe at their new blog or order a subscription through their web site (1:08:14)

Contest!Write in an original idea for an article you would like to see Mark write for Imbibe Magazine. One idea per email, but make them good - think feature article type ideas. Espresso's been done. ;) Send in your mailing address with the idea, we'll randomly pick three winners - one gets a year subscription to imbibe, the other two will get the first issue mailed to them (and signed if they want). Send to podcast@coffeegeek.com, and include the title "Imbibe magazine idea" in your subject line. Deadline is September 30, 2006.

News about CoffeeGeek (40:16) - A fix to the forum search functionality is in the works (40:22) - The Marketplace, a place for advertisers to announce their latest products, is coming (41:19) - The annual Holiday Gift List is returning (hopefully) in mid-November (43:05)

Massive Email Show with Beata, Live to Tape! Featuring two prize Giveaways!Two prize giveaways are buried in the show - the excellent "Zoka Way" Instructional DVD for home baristas, and an autographed copy of "Cafe Haiku" – listen to the podcast for details on how to win! Deadline is August 31, 2006, and entries should be sent to beata.s at coffeegeek dotter com.

The questions: - What is a “sweet? shot of espresso? (2:00)Mark talks about supertasters, the characteristics of a sweet shot of espresso, and what might cause excessive bitterness.(4:03)

- I need a grinder for $100 to $120 US, can you recommend some options? (7:39)Mark suggests a Solis Maestro Classic or Solis Maestro Plus for that price point, but his real recommendation is – don’t skimp on a grinder! (8:31)

- I get iced coffee at Ritual Coffee, it’s everything I wish iced coffee could be! Could you explain how to make this? (10:30)Mark describes two devices for cold brewing made by Hario and Toddy and gives his recipe for iced americanos. (11:22)

- How can I develop my ability to accurately taste coffees and describe what we are tasting? (19:32)Mark suggests the Le Nez du Café kits from the SCAA, if price is no object, or a simpler method: visit a farmers’ market. (20:27)

- Do you have any ideas for home roasting single origin coffees for espresso? (23:40)Mark, who is anti-single-origin espresso, suggests creating an espresso blend using different roast levels with the same coffee. (26:35)

- A suggestion for a future podcast – discuss coffee house culture in other cities, especially Montreal. (30:22)Mark names streets in Montreal known for their really cool cafés and recommends one café in particular: Caffe Art Java. (31:20)

- Why use anything but a perfectly flat tamper? (33:10)Mark discusses the theories behind convex bottoms, Euro curves, American curves and the C Flat, and his work with Reg Barber on a new tamper design. (33:49)

- Where does Kona stand in the world of specialty coffee? (37:51)Mark buys Kona directly from Smith Farms, but cautions that the name Kona doesn’t guarantee quality. Too delicate for an espresso blend, Kona can be memorable when brewed in a vac pot. Find a small farmer and buy green from them direct. (38:48)

- Currently I use a Melitta filter holder. Why should I start using a press pot? (43:26)A manual filter is a great method for brewing! But if you want to try press pot coffee, it’s inexpensive; press pots can be had for as little as $15. See the Guides and How-to section of CG for Mark’s guide on brewing press pot coffee. (44:14)

- When are you going to start doing your “regular? shows so beginners can relate too? (47:28)We’re doing it right now – partly because of this email! We’ll do more shows covering a wide range of topics for everyone from newbies to professionals. (47:56)

Speaking of professional issues – even if you are new to coffee, please consider reading the (somewhat controversial) article on the Cup of Excellence alliance with the National Coffee Association on the CG home page. It describes how the CoE program has introduced the consumer to the farmer and the lives behind the coffee. (48:56)

Live to tape from Firenze, Italia, recorded about 2 months ago now (lol!), it's the midnight session of the CoffeeGeek Podcast featuring Nick Cho of the Portafilter.net podcast and Andrew Barnett from Ecco Cafe

Today’s Special Guest:Arthur Wynne (3:36)- From carpentry to coffee, Sydney, 1997-1998 (4:23)- The move to Ireland and Bewley’s, 2004 (7:12)- The coffee scene in Dublin today; how it compares to the rest of Europe and Australia (9:52)- James Hoffman’sWBC signature drink(14:59)- Bern: WBC accreditation (16:55); the show floor, meeting coffee people (18:15); the city of Bern (22:25)- Latte art championship: how Arthur learned, his first good pour, his strategy for Berne (23:25)- What Mark loved about Bern – meeting people with a passion for all things coffee (30:09)- Arthur and Mark’s latte art tips for consumers – talk to your barista, texturing milk, the process step-by-step (31:29)- Whole Latte Love’s latte art contest (40:32)- Is the double shot basket a crutch? Amp up your skillz with a single shot basket! (42:30)- Alcohol and coffee: Nuts and Berries, Seduction di Mezzanotte, coffee and tequila, espresso martinis, Irish and Spanish coffees (46:52)

Somewhere in this podcast, there's a trivia question that, if you answered correctly, you would have won a major prize. The contest is now closed, so please do not email; however, listen to future CG podcasts for more giveaways!

The prize this time around was a Krups XP4050 automatic espresso machine! Contest was open to residents of the US and Canada, 18 years of age and older, one entry per household is allowed - multiple entries will be disqualified. If you live in Canada, you may be subject to paying duties and taxes on the prize machine, and are subject to answering a further skill-testing question, should you win. This prize was offered "as is", no guarantees on the product's working state when it arrives, with no claims or monetary value. Huge props to Chris White of Alturra Coffee and Krups for providing the prize!

Intro: Beata and Mark – Live to tape once again! (3:39)

2006 SCAA Conference Recap (7:16)- Rob Stephen, podcasts and forums, and the SCAA Town Hall meeting- The Clover 1S: How Mark finally found body and pleasing aftertaste in a Clover cup, thanks to Oliver at Batdorf and Bronson's booth an their Colombian CoE coffee! (13:15)- Social parties, Mark’s "mission"; also lots of pulled pork and fried chicken (23:56)- The USBC and Matt Riddle, the Renaissance man (Congrats, Matt!!!) (26:42)

SCAA Financial Situation (55:21)- Background of the situation (55:56)- Town Hall meeting (58:09)- Beata reads questions and answers from the meeting: how much money was lost; criminal/civil action; relationship of involved persons with the SCAA; financial position of guilds; donating specifically to the guilds; how "first responder" funds were used; how far back theft occurred; why more is not heard about actions taken by the board; the status of the criminal investigation (58:31)- Mark’s suggestions: guild donations being more direct and the SCAA doing regional events (1:08:07)

Changes on the CoffeeGeek web site (1:09:20)- Hiring a new content editor (1:09:31)- More new articles (3 or so a week) from industry folks and regular columnists (1:11:31)- Beata’s suggestions for new content (1:14:34)

Coffee on Television: Black Coffee- Three-episode documentary series on coffee, produced in Canada, rated "best ever watched" by Mark and Beata (2:56)- More about Franciszek Jerzy Kulczycki, who opened the first café in Vienna and contributed so much to coffee culture (4:13)

Brasil Cup of ExcellenceCupping- Brief recap of the cupping - $175 raised for Coffee Kids! (10:42)- Susie Spindler will try to provide extra samples of the COE coffees to Mark so that more COE cuppings to benefit Coffee Kids can be held in the near future. Watch the Western Canada forum on CoffeeGeek for invitations near the end of April for the Colombian CoE cupping. (11:57)- Four more cuppings planned for June/July (14:39)

Mark Answers Email! (15:48)- Jeffrey, a Kansas CoffeeGeek-in-Training, asks for Mark’s opinion on fluid-bed and drum roasters. Mark discusses home roasting technologies and how different types of roasters affect coffee. (15:58)- Mike from San Francisco asks for Mark’s thoughts on Starbucks’ Black Apron coffees. Mark talks a little about Starbucks vs Doubleshot Café, then explains why Starbucks doesn’t currently use CoE quality coffees for their Black Apron program. (22:56)- Alexandra in Montreal asks about having a CG podcast episode devoted to a discussion of fair trade practices and related changes in the coffee industry. Mark suggests ways that consumers can help support farmers. (28:37)

Preview of the2006 SCAA Conference (35:12)- Cool things: More Italian equipment manufacturers; the topic, Quality Tools for the Specialty Trade, focusing on tools to make coffee profitable for retailers; and the Culinary Track, including pairing foods with coffee and french press brewing/coffee variety in restaurants (35:31)- Huge show floor, lots of parties, discounts at restaurants in Charlotte, on-location recordings, and a dual podcast with the portafilter.net crew! (40:26)

When did people first start drinking coffee? (3:29)- A brief history of coffee: Mark describes the discovery of coffee and the rise of coffee’s popularity throughout Arabia and Western Europe (3:50)- A very brief history of espresso: Mark describes the development of modern espresso and the first spring-loaded piston espresso machine in 1947 by Achilles Gaggia (9:08)

When were cappuccinos and lattes first created? (12:13)- History of the cappuccino: Mark traces the creation of the cappuccino from the French café au lait in the mid-1800s to the development of the steam wand in 1910. Some discussion about Caffe Reggio (NYC)'s claim to inventing the drink.

The Coffee Scene in Italy - Espresso, cappuccino, lattes and cafe correcto: Julie’s coffee experiences in Italy (14:29)- The Italian café scene: not so many laptops (16:31)- Features that Mark, Julie and Beata would like to see in local cafes (18:11)

Why are some coffees stronger than others? Should you add salt to get rid of bitterness in coffee? (27:01)- Different tastes reflect differences in coffees and differences in roasts

Will there be more newbie podcasts (perhaps about the importance of proper grind)? (31:30)- Yes!

New Audio Equipment courtesy of Samson (3:43)- An amazing MDR6 Mixing Board- A C03 Multi-Pattern Condenser Microphone to upgrade from the C01 - will make round tables easier to produce- A Hardware Compressor - automatically evens out the audio as people move closer and farther away from the microphones - Many thanks to Ira and the folks at Samson!

Interview with Andrew Barnett of Ecco Caffè, Santa Rosa, California, international juror for Cup of Excellence (10:14)- Andrew on what COE is all about and his involvement with it (11:42) - The Brasil auction: what $50/lb may do for coffee; marketing to the consumer (15:48)- Andrew's impressions of the winning coffee; how COE coffees are scored (19:49)- Lot #1: Fazenda Santa Inês; farmer, Francisco Dias Pereira. Highest scoring coffee in any COE with a score of 95.85; received Andrew's top score of 97; received two scores of 100. Purchased by Michel's Espresso, Instaurator and Caffè Artigiano. Mark and Andrew discuss the price of the coffee from the consumer perspective (21:14)- Lot #2: Fazenda São Benedito; farmer, Antônio José Junqueira Villela. Sold for $7.80 per pound; purchased by The Roasterie, Stumptown, Ecco Caffè, Kaffa, and Maruyama. (30:43)- Lot #3: Sítio São José; farmer, Luiz Roberto Ribeiro. The farms that produced the top three coffees are neighbors. (33:02)- Lot #23 purchased by Ecco Caffè, 49th Parallel Roasters, Intelligentsia, and Golden Coffee Box - Fazenda Santa Terezinha; farmer, Paulo Sérgio de Almeida. (37:01)- coffeegeek.com will join COE at the benefactor level (41:01)- Coming soon to Ecco Caffè: a coffee purchased with the Small Axe Alliance from the Bolivian COE (41:41)

Susie Spindler, Executive Director, Cup of Excellence (45:40)- Susie on what COE is all about and her involvement with it (46:58)- How consumers can find local COE coffees; how to get their roasters involved in COE (50:08)- Benefits of standard COE membership include access to the auction system, priority on international juries, and access to a searchable database of winning farms (51:24)- Building bridges between roasters, farmers and cultures (53:06)- The Brasil auction: what $50/lb may do for coffee; scoring of the first place coffee and the stigma of coffee from Brasil among specialty coffee roasters (57:51) - Marketing coffees to the consumer as a culinary treat: raising the expectations of the consumer (1:04:38) - Disparity between scores and prices of the first and second place coffees (1:11:52)- Visit the COE web site to learn more. (1:15:00)

So, we missed doing a Christmas Eve podcast, we were just too busy having fun in a very serene and relaxing environment up on the Sunshine Coast. But we did record on the 27th! The last podcast of 2005!

Once again, a monumental thanks to Cindy for doing the excellent show notes! I can't believe the detail and research she goes into! She's amazing!

Beata and Mark recorded this podcast from the beautiful Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, where they spent the Christmas holiday. (1:04)

Coffee on Holiday (2:27)- Newbie Segment: Beata shares her real-world experience with making press pot coffee during the trip, demonstrating the importance of grind (3:41)- Mark and Beata discuss the reasons that most coffees do not include “roasted on? dates on their packaging. Mark’s tip for this podcast: demand coffees with roast dates! (5:33)

Podcasts Past and Future (13:35)A quick look back at this year’s podcasts and a glimpse of the future: - Videos: possibly product walk-throughs and/or how-tos (but not video podcasts at this point). Anyone in Vancouver have good video editing skills and equipment? (14:16)- Improved podcast audio quality (thanks to the incredible generosity of Ira at Samson) (20:09)- More podcasts with Beata! Potential topics include press pot coffee, Vietnamese coffee and Viennese coffee how-tos; summer drink recipes; etching; trade show reports (23:28)- If you received any really unusual coffee-based holiday gifts, Mark wants to hear about it – send him an email, and he may read it on the podcast. (29:08)

Coffee Makers (3:53)- Krups Moka Brew: A hybrid between a drip coffee maker and a moka pot. Unfortunately discontinued, but that means it can be found at a good price. Available at: amazon.com, ~$60; and zaccardis.com, $50. (4:12) - Capresso Drip Coffee Machines: The best series out there. (5:26)- The Capresso MT500 is beautiful. Nice filtration system, efficient thermal carafe. Brews at the proper temperature. $170-180. (6:04) The Capresso CoffeeTEC is essentially the MT500 with an auto-frothing system. $200. (6:43) The Capresso CoffeeTEAM is the only grind and brew system Mark recommends due to its conical burr grinder. All available at 1stincoffee.com. (7:09)

Home Espresso Machines (14:09)- White Gaggia Carezza: All-brass portafilter, nice grouphead design, same internal parts as more expensive Gaggias. Sure, it has a cheap plastic exterior, froth aider and no cup warmer, but combined with a good quality grinder makes a great intro setup. Available at wholelattelove.com, $180.(14:19)- Krups XP4000 Series: Quite capable for espresso, for brewing pod coffee on par with Solis SL70. Down side is no hot water ability, pressurized filter baskets, and Krups autofroth system. Looks good, heats up properly. Available at zaccardis.com, $200. (15:58)- Saeco Gran Crema: Heats up fast to steam mode. Compatible with Panarello frothing system. Visible water reservoir level; holds a lot of water. Good starter machine. $250. (19:06)- Espressione Retro: Insider tip – If you’d like to own the famous retro-looking Francis Francis! X1 seen on “Will and Grace? and “Sex and the City? but don’t want to pay $650-$700, buy the Espressione Retro. Same cool retro look and 70-80% of the internal parts are identical to the FF!. Available at zaccardis.com, $379. (19:59)- Solis SL70 Crema: Amazing steaming, brews great espresso. Does pod and standard coffee; good hot water ability. Recommend an unpressurized basket for the portafilter. $380-$400. (22:42)- Rancilio Silvia: A perennial favorite. ~$500. (24:31)- Pasquini Livia 90 Semiautomatic: Mark’s first uber-serious machine. Not E61-based. Take off the froth aider, put on a standard froth tip, and it’s a great machine. $1250. (25:02)- Expobar Brewtus II: Mark has never used it, but there’s a lot of positive talk about this impressive dual-boiler E61 machine. Available at wholelattelove.com, $1700. (26:11)- Innova (Ascaso) Arc: Specifically for Canadians - the Ascaso Arc sells for $500-$600 in the US, but is substantially less in Canada. Contact morala.com, and ask for Hamid to get the price. (27:21) - La Pavoni Professional: A manual, direct piston machine. $750. (28:34) - Elektra Microcasa a Leva: Beautiful spring piston lever machine. Some temp surfing is necessary to achieve the right water temperature for brewing, but if you can master it, you may be blown away by the quality of the coffee. $900 (29:12)

Outro (36:19)The second pre-Christmas show should be recorded on the 23rd or 24th (featuring Mark and Beata sending out their holiday messages and reflecting on the past year), but in case you don’t tune in, a very merry Christmas, very happy holidays, and a prosperous and fun-filled new year to all of you!

SCAA Talk – Retailers and the SCAA (8:37) - Mark gives a primer on the SCAA and describes the components of the organization. (8:37) - Brad and Mark talk about what retailers want and need from trade organizations like the SCAA. (15:16) - Mark details four things the SCAA could do to stop the churn of retailer membership: increase communication; provide retailers with continually updated consumer education tools; offer training/informational products to retailers on the business side of coffee; and organize small regional events. (18:57) - Mark and Brad discuss how the SCAA could interact with SCAA consumer members. (25:44) - Mark announces that the CG podcast may host a debate in January between the candidates for SCAA second vice-president (should someone choose to run against Mark Inman). (29:40)

Ambush Interview! (33:17) - Doug Zell of Intelligentsia Coffee briefs Mark and Brad on the coffees they will be tasting later in the show. Doug also talks about how they acquired the Tres Santos Micro-Lots and about restaurants that are now offering customers a menu of Intelligentsia micro-lot/Cup of Excellence coffees to choose from.

Coffee Tasting - Rwandan Musasa (45:23): Medium body with an initial kick, berry notes, a bit of acidity and smooth finish. Mark’s first pick among the three when served with cream. - Cruz del Sur, Peru (48:20): Intelligentsia’s new exclusive coffee. The Peru buying trip with Geoff Watts is described on the Intelligentsia web site. Sweet juicy tomatoey flavor; cream brings out chocolate notes. - Tres Santos Micro-Lot, Almaguer, Colombia (50:26): First pick for both Brad and Mark as black coffee. Sweet with a red licorice aftertaste and a lot of intensity. With cream, Mark describes it as a cacophony of fruit.

Restaurant Coffee (56:15) - Mark offers to record a how-to podcast on amping up restaurant coffee service on location at the fabulous Aurora Bistro, Vancouver. Mark and Brad look at ways restaurants can elevate coffee service, including offering press pot service, offering a selection of four or five quality coffees paired to desserts, and expanding the job of the sommelier to include coffee. Equipment and cost issues are discussed and Mark lays out his dream setup for restaurant coffee service.

Mark talks briefly about the new mics he's been using, from Samson, which are really good quality. Mics used are the CO1 and the CO1U (USB condenser mic).

Details about the La Marzocco "Open House event featuring the GS3 prototype machine with amazing temperature profile control.- held at Elysian Coffee and Tea- Used coffee supplied by Intelligentsia (thanks Doug!- Also, Mark pulled a "barista" shift at a charity event the day before, for the Starlight Foundation.- GS3 really held up. 70+ drinks made at the charity event in 3 hours, and many at the open house.- Mark details a speed test he did on the GS3, building 18 espressos (9 double shots) in 10 mins - 16 were serve-able.- Feedback was awesome.- Mark declares that "the machine is no longer a variable to worry about" when it comes to the GS3

Second segment - a Rant on Quality vs. Labels in coffee.- Mark talks about how way too many cafes are bandying about terms like "shade grown", "bird friendly", "relationship coffee" and "fairly traded" without much to back it up.- Suggests that the top 10 or 15 quality roasters in the US should start up a new council of ethics and quality for coffee, modeled loosely on the 1950's Comics Authority Code.- Mark suggests that shade grown, fairly traded, etc, is being used to imply quality tasting coffee, when it's not - it's becoming the new "gourmet" coffee term.

Third segment -Emails!- Mark reads some ridiculous claims on a Canadian website claiming coffee needs to be aged at least 15-30 days (after roasted), but ideally 4-6 months after roasted before drinking. Suggests trying it yourself to see if it's true or not.- Email asking about what ratios of ground coffee to water. Mark suggests starting with 7g of coffee per 120ml of water (4oz), then experiment.- Question about rating grinders purely by the specifications. Mark suggests finding out about the usability and real life production of grinders - reading some of CoffeeGeek's 753 Consumer Reviews of Grinders is a good start.- Question about temperature curve (cooling water) used in brewing press pot coffee.- Mark gets his pronunciation corrected.- An email suggesting coffee "recipes" (ie, blending, but with a twist).

- Three limited edition blends, called latitudes.- Ethiopian Yirgacheffe "Kello" was Beata's first pick as a black coffee, and it shows massive blueberry as it cools down and a tiny bit of cream is added.- Panama Esmerelda Jaramillo was Beata's first choice with milk. It is a very acidic coffee that gets better as it cools, finishes with "table red wine" acidity. With a bit of milk, brings out big caramel, or a combo of vanilla and spice. Putting sugar in this (if you use milk) would be a criminal act.

- El Salvador Siberia is a surprise - Mark, who doesn't normally like acidic coffees, picks this one as his first choice. Amazing finish, very complex, pecan really starts to jump out. With milk, it goes chocolate spice.

News and updates with Jeanette Chan- Jeanette and Mark talk about the CoffeeFest trade show, dink booth operators (some rude dude selling artsy coffeehouse tables), all the trinkets and stuff at the show.- Some talk about the Clover espresso machine- More talk about the La Marzocco GS3- News, including beer coffee, (yikes), cancer fund raising in coffee, and much more.

- Lots of discussion about CoffeeFest, including some reports from some seminars.- Discussion about the North West Regional Barista Championships- Talk about the Clover!- Talk about Nick and his lost podcasts (which really sucks)- Talk about Mark's shift away from Latte Art- No talk about the La Marzocco GS3 yet, cuz I didn't have it when these were recorded

Show NotesReading of the SCAA Bulletin from the Board, and the followup Notice- SCAA is broke due to "financial irregularities" supposedly due to the previous financial officer's conduct.- Mark Prince talks about how the SCAA can evolve and actually benefit and become more viable from this crisis.- The SCAA has three problems that need to be addressed- Needs to be completely transparent, and evolve into a 21rst century trade organization and stop being mired in the 1970s and 1980s "corporate mentality" that currently plagues it. And start sending out a monthly or bi-weekly electronic newsletter / networking letter to members via email.- Needs to be a year round organization that isn't just about the annual trade show and conference.- Needs to genuinely address why they have so many lapsed members. This organization probably has a lapsed membership roll of 7,500 or more members. Why? Fix it.- Mark has problems with the SCAA using the term "first responders" - this should be reserved for those who take life-risks in aiding those who truly need help, ie, firefighters, hurricane relief workers, etc.

Mark answers emails- Which is better to attend - Illy's Universita del caffe in Trieste, or the American Barista and Coffee School in Portland.- What is the difference between doserless and doser espresso grinders and which is better- Mention of the Espresso Glossary on CoffeeGeek- A question on heat exchanger machines, why they may be too hot, and single boiler machines that don't have enough power.- Reader would like a "quick tips" part of the podcast. Mark give a tip for good coffee: a good grinder.

- What makes a good home blend. Mark talks about Brasil, Guatamala, Sumatra, and Yemen- Corrections on cafe locations: Coffee Klatch is in San Dimas, CA, not San Diego. Ecco Caffe is in Santa Rosa, CA, not Santa Barbara- Listener from Nepal! Woot!- Writer from Oslo talks about his progression in espresso.

Radio InterviewsSurpise content for CG Podcast 020 - Some radio interviews I've done in the past that contain good info, and show a snapshot of my espresso knowledge 3+ years ago.- CBC Radio interview, talking about coffee, the romance of coffee, while doing a cupping- This was the impetus for creating the Beginner's Guide to Cupping- CKNW Interview - general discussion about coffee, how to get good coffee at home, and where good cafes are in Vancouver. I even brought in a balance brewer for her to check out.

A slightly shorter one today, but hey, you get two podcasts in only 3 days! ;)

- Shout outs to a bunch of people who've been really supportive this past few weeks (hey, it's better than ranting about someone who's been a dink! LOL!)- We have a new DAP player to record remote shows with - the iAudio U2, thanks to Nick Cho!

Roundtable discussion with Instaurator!- Discussion about WBC - where Inny hoped it would go- Background on who owns WBC (SCAA and SCAE)- Australian competitions, and how BMW is a major sponsor (we wish, over here!)- Australia "thinks outside the box" on lots of foodie and coffee issues- Discussion about the Nordic Barista Cup- Illy - an enigma!- Baristas should learn about roasting- Roasters should learn how to pull shots- Falling in love with coffee... in France!- How Australia is almost 100% espresso (no drip coffee) in retail cafes and restaurants- Australian terminology for espresso (short black, flat white, etc).- Espresso for kids?- All about Michel's Espresso (in Australia)- George Sabados, Emily Oak (sorry Emily!), Paul Bassett.- WBC winning espresso (2003) had a Cup of Excellence Guat in it.- Signature drinks with kangaroo meat! (hint - it's a savoury drink, not sweet!)

Listener Emails 2:38- Big Kudos email, but talks about wifi in cafes- Listener asks about espresso machine choice, Mark points her to the Consumer Reviews section for good info on machines.- Email on Mark Inman and his take on single origin espresso.- Email on Vietnamese Coffee (the brewing style, not the beans)- Discussion about Adam Curry and his lust for the Philips Senseo.- Listener asks for a recommendation on a good small roaster for a startup - Mark mentions Ambex Roasters and praises Terry Davis.

Five Principles of a Good Espresso Blend 23:15

The shot must look visually proper

The blend should be tolerant of a wide variety of brewing conditions

The espresso must taste good both straight and in as much as 1:3 ratio to milk.

The shot should not be excessively bitter or sour.

The espresso brewed must stand up to time, and age gracefully.

Mark says that only three espresso blends that he's tried in the last few years fit this profile. When the article is written, you'll find out which ones win, and which ones lose out.

News with Jeanette Chan 31:10- Five news items, you can read them at "CoffeeGeek Resources"- Discussion pieces mainly focus on Hurricane Katrina. Mark points out that one tiny silver lining is that small coffee farmers may benefit from as much as 1.5 million bags (over 200 million pounds) of coffee being damaged.- Should CoffeeGeek put out press releases on important CG stuff? Email press@coffeegeek.com and let Jeanette know.

Intro, discussion about Hines Public Market Coffee, and their plans for the future- includes a possible scoop on their new location

Roundtable with Kyle and Tony from Victrola Coffee - www.victrolacoffee.net- Tony's blog is at www.tonx.org- discussion about Hines and John Sanders- discussion about competing in barista competitions, training "on the street"- discussion about collab efforts amongst small roasters to help promote farms and get good coffee to customers- discussion about competitions and how what we learn at them can translate to shops- discussion about what would be good things to see on a show about coffee on the Food Network.

Interview with Kent Bakke, President, ESI.www.esi-online.com- talk about the early days of espresso machines in Seattle- how Bakke started selling machines to Starbucks- how the 1990s were awesome for ESI and Starbucks- talk about the Swift Grinder- discussion about the new home machine from La Marzocco

- Question about how to measure an espresso shot. Mark talks about WBC Standards, personal prefs.- Question asking about home roasters, including Mark's fave - the Hottop.- Question about tampers, about their cost. Mark talks about artisan tools for woodworkers, and baristas.- Question about finding good espresso in Kansas City and San Diego. Mark lists a bunch of good cafes to check out.- Question about difference between semi-auto and automatic espresso machines. Mark gives a primer on the four classes of espresso machines - manual, semi automatic, automatic, and super automatic.- Question about decaf and decaf espresso. Mark talks about caffeine levels (again!) and two decaf coffees he likes - a decaf Peru Organic (buy green here) and decaf Black Cat from Intelligentsia- Beata reads a bunch of comments from Podcast Alley- A email about the dark underside of the crappy beans that the Big Four buy from the world market - a primer on defects and "foreign objects" the coffees have. (visit the ICO Site for more info)- Questions about CO2 levels in coffee differing around the world- Question asking about how to get more "single estate" coffee recognition.

Audio Call from a surprise USBC Finalist.Mark and Beata surprise-callback that same USBC Finalist!

Enjoy folks! Remember our sponsor, www.kadescoffee.com - they brought you this podcast. Visit them and try out their coffees - use coupon code "coffeegeek" to get 15% off your order and free shipping.

- Introduction, ref to "it's about the quality, not about the buzz" thread on CoffeeGeek.- New editor for the content section on CoffeeGeek is starting up - more articles soon?- Podcast Alley ranking rocks - 24th as of this podcast!- No emails or audio mails this show, but don't worry, they will be back next episode.- Shout out to EatFeed who promise a new show very soon!- Portafilter.net has a new podcast out - bad audio quality, great content.- Mark talks about respecting the heck out of Chris Tacy while almost never agreeing with him.- Mark harps on Engadget promoting a Nespresso machine when a few weeks before they got plenty of advice that dissed said nespresso.- Mark talks about getting coffee from Ecco Cafe in Santa Rosa, and talks up the coolness factor of Andrew Barnett.

Ken Davids Interview- Home roasting discussion - how Ken started home roasting- Discussion about the history of home roasting since 1976- Discussion about a patent lawyer who stymies the development of consumer home roasting products (his name is Howard Gells)- Ken remembers "prior instance" of popcorn poppers used for home roasting, (between 1976 and 1981), long before Gells' patents were filed.- Talk about roasters available in the 1990s- Ken tells us that the future may have some good new products- Discussion about drum roasters - the Alpenrost, the Hottop, roasting with BBQs- Mark talks about newest trend - using indoor rotisserie products (like the Showtime Rotisserie) to roast coffee - Talk about cupping - how Ken started- Cupping's purpose- Cupping in the home for information purposes- Cupping in the home for entertainment purposes. Mark talks about the Cupping Guides on CoffeeGeek.- Ken gets some new ideas for the next editions of his books ;)

Closing song by Smallfish called Smoothie King, from the Podsafe Music Network.

Intro, song by Small Fish, called "Coffee Shop" from the Podsafe Music Network.

Emails- Joe explains how Co2 transports oils, lipids and aromatics in ground coffee to your cup.- Jason writes in about the OneSixtyBlue restaurant in Chicago doing coffee right.- Mark explains why Intelligentsia Coffee Roasters is CoffeeGeek's official coffee supplier.- Jason also asks about if its okay to freeze coffee, because George Howell said so. George only talked about freezing green coffee.- Ottawa listener writes in about Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa also doing good coffee.- Donald writes in about vac pots. Mark tells a bit, and promises an entire podcast on vacpots.- Liam from Belfast writes in about espresso being a "whole life experience"; Mark talks about God shots and the ever moving bar of quality.- Drew writes in asking about refurb machines and the Capresso C3000.- Email about Starbucks and super autos.- Audio mail about finding a good tamper for a Krups combo machine. Mark talks about the Staub Tamp- Audio Kudos, Mark talks about the role of the podcast

Mini Round Table with Instaurator.- you'll have to tune in to find out what was talked about. It's good stuff! And more to come from Instaurator!

- Too much news to list - go to the Resources section to see it all.- Nice discussion by a professor on equating a jar full of stuff (incl. coffee) with life.- Discussion on Maxwell House "lowering prices for consumers" and how Kraft Foods should instead keep prices level, pay farmers more, and increase the quality of their drink.- Discussion on Starbucks not going into black neighbourhoods, but Mark talks about how Starbucks is becoming McDonalds, and how the Washington Post parroted coffee blogs and CoffeeGeek.com by saying so.- 90 second rant on premade, prepackaged coffee beverages

Emails:- Murky Coffee not offering espresso blends for sale? (update: apparently not - maybe Nick will answer why); wants to know what beans are "espresso" and what are "coffee". Mark explains all.- What is the difference between steam driven and pump driven espresso machines.- What coffee brewers brew coffee at proper temperatures. Answer, not many, but Mark mentions some specifics, including the Capresso MT500, the Capresso CoffeeTec, and the Technivorm coffee maker.- What is the proper way to drink espresso. Mark mentions Chris Tacy's segment in the Portafilter Podcast; discusses that there is not just one proper way to drink espresso.

Snakeeyes is up. Listen to me burn several bridges! ;) (but who knows - instead of being pissed off, maybe certain parties will learn from the dissatisfaction expressed). I'm talking to you SW and MF! :D

Listener Emails- Reader "gets it" on grinding, asks for tips on the Mazzer Mini- Reader asks about long term storage of roasted Coffee. Mark says just say no. Mentions Derek Powazek's blog where he gets one thing wrong.- Reader asks about Solis SL-70, asks for tips on avoiding "blond crema".- Restaurant espresso feedback from last episode - Mark suggests a grass roots effort to politely demand better coffee and espresso from fine dining restaurants.- Reader talks about caffeine levels in various consumer items - Mark talks about caffeine levels in espresso and brewed coffee- Reader writes in and asks if you can "cheat" the large C02 amounts in just-roasted coffee by leaving ground coffee sitting for a while.

News with Jeanette Chan- news articles can be found on CoffeeGeek in the Resources section Jeanette can be reached at news@coffeegeek.com- News on Cancer Fundraiser involving coffee - Disease resistant coffee in Africa- Dunkin Donuts Robber Stopper keeps his coffee intact- Dude on horse rides through drive through window at a Timmy Ho's, and gets charged!- Specialty coffee consumption is up - SCAA mentioned. Mark goes on a rant tear about the SCAA. Says the real reason why specialty coffee consumption is up is the Internet and the myriad of coffee information sites.- Starbucks knockoff in Ethiopia. Go Fake Starbucks!- 90 second rant, Jeanette talks about department store espresso machines.

Close out talk, News about upcoming podcastsMark plays a song written by Sandy Andina, a CoffeeGeek member.

- No roundtable again. It's a bitch to edit.- Discussion on Restaurant Coffee, and how the best restaurant in the US (French Laundry - website) doesn't even "get it", serving illy pod espresso.- Suggestion that somelliers at fine dining establishments learn about high end coffee and espresso, take advanced barista training courses, and add it to their repetoire.- Talk about port wine, and how it is the "espresso" of the booze world (apologies to whiskey and wine drinkers).- Mark's picks on the best bargains in port wine right now- Listener emails answered: - How to know you're getting a good shot of espresso in a cafe - How important the quality of espresso is in milk drinks - More on ristretto as a "crutch" drink - Coffee brewers for the physically disabled.

News with Jeanette Chan (and guest Beata Siwinski!) news@coffeegeek.com- "CoffeeGeek Resources" for more info- Detailed Article about farms working to get fair wages for their labourers- Coffee Carts make big business- Failed attempt to sneak a sheep article in ;)- Proposed Nairobi sales of Coffee- Discussion: Tully's Losing money. Mark talks about the Tully's trainer being a last minute USBC entrant.- Discussion - a new balance brewer on the market (www.espressovero.com). Mark gives a tiny primer on vac pots and balance brewers, and says the Espresso Vero offerings are too expensive. Mentions Hario (www.hario.com).- 90 Second Rant - messy coffee!

This podcast is sponsored by www.1stincoffee.com and we really appreciate their sponsorship. If you like this podcast, please consider 1st in Coffee the next time you're in the market for anything coffee and espresso related.

Woot! Enjoy! Comment! We don't live in a vacuum! Only good coffee does, occasionally.

Rant about email to CoffeeGeek - averaging nearly 200 a day now.Mark asks listeners to do their legwork first before emailing questions that are not podcast related- use Google- research our CoffeeGeek Forums for answers to your questions- use our Consumer Reviews section to find out about machines.

Mark doesn't want to discourage emails, but asks that you do some research on your own first before you email him.

Next podcast should be online tomorrow. I am (still) manually updating the links on the front page and here in forums. Subscribe, and you'll never miss a podcast, even if I am slow in posting these manual changes ;)

Hola Folks! CoffeeGeek Podcast 007 is online, and we had a lot of fun with this one. Where else can you go from Aretha Franklin, to Bach, to Marilyn Manson all in the same podcast? Oh, and a little Bond too.

Coffee and Espresso Tips for NewbiesBeata wonders why the macchiato she gets at Mark's house or at good cafes is different from the macchiato Starbucks makesMark details the basic drinks made with espresso, including americano, ristretto, cappuccino, latte, mocha, cafe au lait (technically, a moka pot based drink) and more. Rants quite a bit ;)

We have lots of podcast plans for down the road, but for now, I want to hear what you would like in the CoffeeGeek Podcast. Here's some of our suggested segments; Tell us if they suit, and if we're missing anything.

- Roundtable discussions with experts in the coffee and espresso business.

The fifth installment in the CoffeeGeek Podcast features an expanded news section from Jeanette Chan; a new segment we're tentatively calling "Advanced Coffee and Espresso Techniques for the Coffee Newbie"; this week we talk about good coffee on a budget.

This is definitely a consumer-oriented podcast. The roundtable I was hoping to have in this issue will wait until the next podcast.